MANSFIELD, CT (May 4) -
Senior Samantha Avery (Rocky Hill, CT) and sophomore Kylee Ruther (Stamford, CT) hit home runs in Western Connecticut State University's seven-run fifth inning and the Colonials went on to eliminate Plymouth State University, 8-0, from the Little East Conference Tournament at ECSU Softball Field on Friday afternoon.

The Colonials will face Keene State College in the semifinals at noon on Saturday. The Owls dropped a 10-0 decision to Eastern Connecticut in the final game of the day on Friday. The winner of that game will have to beat the Warriors twice to claim the 2012 LEC Tournament crown. The first championship game follows at 2 pm. If ECSU drops the 2 pm contest, a title match will follow at 4 pm.

Senior righty Magen Dargon (Trumbull, CT) went the distance and allowed just one hit while striking out nine and walking one. She is now 20-8 in her final season. She struck out the side in the opening inning and closed out the mercy-rule shortened game with a pair of strike outs in Plymouth's sixth inning.

The Colonials, 29-14, pounded out nine hits including Jackie Zilnicki (Riverhead, NY) who went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in in that explosive fifth inning.

Kristen Ferrante (New Paltz, NY) also had a pair of hits in three at bats and scored two runs for the winners. Ferrante came into score the final run of the game on a double-steal attempt that resulted in Nina Wojtkiewicz (Griswold, CT) being thrown out at second.

Designated player Jenn Bove collected the Panthers' lone hit, an infield single in the first inning.

One more win by Western will give it 30 wins for the sixth time in program history. In 2001, Western went 35-4 and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. A year later, the Colonials went 34-9 and appeared in the NCAA Division III College World Series.